Rt. Hon. Sir Tony Baldry2015-03-31T08:59:02Zhttp://www.tonybaldry.co.uk/feed/atom/WordPressCatharinehttp://www.tonybaldry.co.uk/?p=73202015-03-31T08:59:02Z2015-03-31T08:59:02ZMy article today is a response to the news that Sir Tony Baldry is standing down as Member of Parliament after over 30 years of representing the people of North Oxfordshire.

It is about the time he was first elected for Banbury in 1983 and given an opportunity to serve an area with a changed shape. Chipping Norton had become part of West Oxfordshire and Bicester was new to the constituency.

The challenge was enormous. His predecessor Neil Marten had been MP for the Banbury constituency during a 24-year period and was a hard act to follow with a strong personal vote. In that time he contested seven elections.

As his successor Tony had experienced the rough and tumble of the hustings four years earlier at Thurrock, Essex. The task was to get across a convincing message to the Banbury electors as he presented himself as publisher, company director and barrister.

Previous general elections had been dominated by considerable numbers of public meetings which brought the real threat of loss of voice power.

Fortunately for Tony – as illustrated in today’s picture – Neil Marten offered a solution, gargling with port. This got Tony through a challenging programme of public meetings.

At Deddington there was some light relief. The Loony Party presented him with a strawberry jelly which attracted a Banbury Guardian remark ‘the zany ceremony was enough to give any politician the shakes!’

Tony’s response was positive. He gave them a set of Conservative election stickers printed in red. ‘Was this a printer’s error or was the supplier colour blind they asked’.

The Labour Party’s tactics to counter a new Tory candidate was to bring in one of the big guns.

The feeling was that Banbury had become a marginal seat and winnable. Their choice was Michael Foot and the Banbury Guardian’s response was a caption ‘Michael is betting on Banbury’.

This was a reference to journalist Graham Wilton’s taunt ‘You’ll never win Banbury, Mr Foot!’ He and Michael Foot then agreed a bet on the election’s outcome. The prize was a Margaret Thatcher devalued 50p.

A fascinating blow to Michael Foot’s confidence came when he was introduced to Dennis Adkins, fruit and vegetable trader in Banbury Market but also a strong Conservative supporter. While all this was happening Tony Baldry was set on ensuring that every library in the constituency had a copy of the Labour manifesto ‘New hope for Britain’.

This was about nationalisation and the introduction of controls including the banning of field sports. Tony’s comment was ‘no wonder the programme has been dubbed “No hope for Britain” ’.

An altogether more serious issue was the fact that Banbury was an unemployment black spot.

Brian Hodgson went so far as to hang a banner outside Labour’s North Bar headquarters announcing that 3,530 were out of a job and Michael Foot made a much publicised stop at the centre for the unemployed in South Bar.

Tony Baldry’s reply was to blame the ‘washing-up time’ strike at British Leyland, which was late delivering his new blue MG Maestro.

He said that he was concerned about the threat to jobs in component manufacturing as at Automotive Products, Banbury.

On the eve of poll Conservative meetings came thick and fast, three in Banbury, and one in Bicester.

Whether or not these captured hearts and minds, Tony got home with a 13,025 majority. He polled 26,225 with Alliance second on 13,200, Labour in third place attracting 9,343 votes and 383 supporting the Loony Party.

In the words of the Banbury Guardian ‘the four-week hullabaloo of the hustings is hushed’.

There can be no better tribute to Sir Tony Baldry than the postscript on Sir Neil Marten by Gerry Steer of Tredis Guest House.

‘During the many years he has served us he has been a first class constituency MP, always willing to help and always willing to listen’.

]]>0Catharinehttp://www.tonybaldry.co.uk/?p=72462015-03-30T18:35:33Z2015-03-27T16:00:18ZSir Tony Baldry who is standing down from Parliament is to become a Patron of Katharine House Hospice. Shortly after the Katharine House Hospice was opened, Tony Baldry helped set up in Parliament with the late Labour MP, Jack Ashley, the first All Party Hospice Support Group.

Sir Tony said:

“I am really pleased that one of the new tasks I am going to be able to take on on stepping down from the House of Commons is to become a Patron of Katharine House. I know from all my years as the local MP and from friends who have had treatment at Katharine House, friends who have died at Katharine House, what a fantastic resource Katharine House is for the local community.

“I am also glad that over the years I and other have been able to get more sustainable NHS funding for hospices such as Katharine House and I was particularly pleased that last year the Chancellor of the Exchequer removed VAT burdens on hospices, such as Katharine House, to put them in an identical position to NHS hospitals.

“One always has to remember that Katharine House is voluntarily supported and voluntarily funded and so I look forward to doing my bit to help make sure that Katharine House has the funds that it needs to continue to carry out outstanding work.”

]]>0Catharinehttp://www.tonybaldry.co.uk/?p=72982015-03-26T17:33:02Z2015-03-26T17:33:02ZThe Church of England has welcomed Royal Assent today for an Act that will bring forward the introduction of the first women diocesan bishops into the House of Lords.

Notification of Royal Assent for the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act was given in the House of Lords shortly before Parliament rose for the General Election.

Under the terms of the Act, the Venerable Rachel Treweek, Archdeacon of Hackney, who is announced today as the next Bishop of Gloucester will become the first female diocesan bishop to join the Bishops’ Benches in the House of Lords.

Archdeacon Rachel will take the place vacated by the Bishop of Leicester, Tim Stevens, who retires on July 11. She will be introduced into the House of Lords after the summer recess.

Bishop Tim, who has spoken of how the presence of female diocesan bishops will “enrich and strengthen” the voice of the bishops in the House of Lords, said: “The passing of the Act is good news for Parliament as well as the Church. It means that in the next Parliament for the first time the Bishops’ Benches will be occupied by women as well as men.

“There has been overwhelming support from MPs and Peers for the Act during its passage through Parliament and we are grateful to the Government and other parties for ensuring that time could be found to take it through.

“As I look to my own retirement this summer, I know that membership of the House of Lords has been a significant part of my own ministry, as undoubtedly it will be for many of those women who will join the Bishops’ Benches. It is heartening to know that with the passing of this Act, and the announcement today of the Ven Rachel Treweek as the next Bishop of Gloucester, that the seat that I will vacate in the Lords will be the first on the Bishops’ Benches to be taken by a woman.”

The Rt Hon Sir Tony Baldry MP, Second Church Estates Commissioner, said: “There has been huge support for this provision from all sides of both Houses of Parliament and I welcome the announcement of Royal Assent for this Act.

“I am delighted that this coincides with the appointment of the first female diocesan bishop in the Church of England, the Ven Rachel Treweek, who will be introduced into the House of Lords after the summer recess. I am sure her presence as a Lord Spiritual will receive a heartfelt welcome not just in the Church of England and in the Houses of Parliament but throughout the country.”

Under current rules, the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the Bishops of London, Durham and Winchester are entitled to sit in the House of Lords from the start of their appointments.

The new Act, which will come into force in the next Parliament, makes provision for vacancies among the remaining 21 places, which are normally filled according to length of service, to be filled as they arise by eligible female diocesan bishops. The provision will remain in place for 10 years, equivalent to two fixed term Parliaments.

The legislation does not prevent male bishops from entering the House of Lords during this period as vacancies will be filled, as is currently the case, by the longest serving male diocesan bishop if there is no eligible female diocesan bishop in line at that time.

After the end of the 10-year period, the provision made by the Act will come to an end and the current arrangements under the Bishoprics Act 1878 for determining which bishops are to fill vacancies in the House of Lords will be restored.

As Parliament has now dissolved, Sir Tony has ceased to be a Member of Parliament.

Sir Tony said:

“It has been an enormous privilege to serve the people of North Oxfordshire for almost a third of century. I am incredibly grateful to all those who have supported me over the years, particularly my loyal staff without whom my office would not have operated so smoothly.”

Should you wish to get in touch with Victoria Prentis, the Conservative Party Parliamentary candidate for North Oxfordshire, please email her on victoria@victoriaprentis.com.

The funding will come from the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund, a fund which was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in last year’s Autumn Statement. All listed places of worship were invited to make applications to the fund by 30 January 2015 for a grant between £10,000 to £100,000 to repair church roofs and guttering.

Sir Tony said:

“I am delighted that on the last day of this Parliament and my last day as an MP and Second Church Estates Commissioner, it has been announced that St Mary’s Banbury has been awarded the full amount for the repair of its church roof.

“I was extremely grateful to the Chancellor when he announced that funds would be made available for the repair of church roofs and St Mary’s were extremely diligent in getting their application in before the deadline in January.

“This will obviously be very welcome money for St Mary’s which is the only Grade One Listed Building in the town suffers from the fact that the Horton stone is very soft. The money will help ensure the church remains weather tight, safe and open for use.

“I now look forward to officially taking on the chair of the Church Buildings Council which is a statutory body with responsibility for the 16,000 parish churches across England.”

]]>0Catharinehttp://www.tonybaldry.co.uk/?p=72572015-03-26T16:45:46Z2015-03-26T12:02:19ZChancellor awards £30 million funding package for listed places of worship today, with second round of £25 million to open for 2015-16]]>Chancellor awards £30 million funding package for listed places of worship today, with second round of £25 million to open for 2015-16

Nearly 400 Church of England parishes are to receive grants for urgent repairs to their church roofs in the first round of awards from the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund, Chancellor George Osborne announced today.

ChurchCare, the buildings division of the Church of England, welcomed the grants for 372 parish churches and said that this would make an “immeasurable” difference to local communities.

The total funding package for the first round of the scheme announced today by the Treasury is £30 million, which will go to a total of 502 listed places of worship, with Church of England parishes receiving just over £19 million.

Extra funding announced in last week’s Budget will enable a second round of grants to be awarded next year to the value of an additional £25 million.

Around 12,000 of the Church of England’s 16,000 parish churches are listed and 806 of these were included on the 2014 Heritage at Risk Register prepared by English Heritage. This highlighted the impact of leaks from roofs as the principal cause of decay in historic churches.

All the churches benefiting today will receive grants between £10,000 and £100,000 towards the urgent repair of roofs, gutters and drains.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has said the funding will “create local skilled jobs, improve community facilities and protect heritage.”

The Fund, administered by the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF) on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, was heavily oversubscribed when applications closed on January 31. The decision to increase the scheme to total of £55 million, to be awarded over two rounds, was a response to this demand.

The Rt Hon Canon Sir Tony Baldry MP, Chair of the Church Buildings Council, said: “I can think of no similar time when any Chancellor has made available such sums for church repair.

“For many people the presence of a church in their community is symbolic of the nation and a source of support and comfort even for those who are not regular church-goers.

“We are constantly seeing what more we can do to make church buildings more serviceable to the wider community so that they can be used as much as possible, and not simply for Sunday worship. The grants today will enable the recipients to continue this aim, with a safe, watertight building.”

The Bishop of Worcester, Dr John Inge, lead bishop for cathedrals and church buildings, said: “The parish churches of our land are jewels in the crown of our national heritage. As such, though cared for by Church of England parishioners, they are everyone’s heritage and we are very grateful that this has been recognised by the Government through these grants for essential repairs. This will enable these wonderful buildings the better to be used to serve the communities at the heart of which they stand, now and in the future. ”

The Chancellor, George Osborne, said: “Churches and Cathedrals are a unique part of our national heritage, and play a vital role in community life – we want to support them, and thanks to our long-term economic plan, we can.
“Whether it’s our country’s future or these important buildings, the sun is shining and we’re starting to fix the roof.”

Janet Gough, Director of ChurchCare, expressed her thanks for the funding. She said: “The impact of this will be unparalleled, amounting to the largest number of church roof repairs carried out at any one time under a funding scheme. Rain water entering a building through damaged roofs and gutters can quickly damage the historic interiors that help to make these buildings so significant. Damage can rapidly accelerate, making a building unsound for use. Basic repairs are fundamental to preventing this happening, and the fund will make an immeasurable difference to those that receive grants. We are incredibly grateful to the Chancellor for having made provision for such an important scheme, and for extending it to another round, to give everyone a second chance to apply.”

The second round, for the allocation of the remaining £25 million set aside for the scheme, is expected to open later in 2015. Both unsuccessful applicants under the initial scheme and new applicants will be able to apply, and ChurchCare will be providing support and guidance to those interested in applying. More information will be made available from the LPOW Roof Repair Fund and ChurchCare websites in due course.

At the party, Sir Tony recalled that he had launched the branch 25 years ago and proposed it at its initial meeting.

]]>0Catharinehttp://www.tonybaldry.co.uk/?p=72482015-03-25T13:44:37Z2015-03-25T13:44:37ZSince announcing his decision to stand down at the forthcoming General Election, North Oxfordshire MP Sir Tony Baldry has gradually been clearing out his Parliamentary office.

Going through 32 years worth of papers, books and casework has taken a number of months for Tony and his team but on Wednesday, Banbury’s Gentlevan Removals came to Westminster to collect the final few items from Tony’s office to take them back to Banbury.

]]>0Catharinehttp://www.tonybaldry.co.uk/?p=72432015-03-24T13:36:39Z2015-03-24T13:36:39ZWith more than one million isolated people aged 75 and over across the UK, North Oxfordshire MP, Sir Tony Baldry, is supporting Contact the Elderly in its ambition to help lonely older people in his constituency.

The charity, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary on April 19th this year, works to tackle loneliness amongst people aged 75 and over who live alone in England, Scotland and Wales.

Currently providing more than 54,000 social opportunities for isolated older people per annum across 565 groups, Contact the Elderly provides regular face-to-face contact via 7,400 volunteers. By running monthly local tea parties, volunteers are able to reach older people who are isolated, and provide the much-needed contact they need to make new friendships with other local older people and younger volunteers.

With older people in North Oxfordshire already being helped by the Contact the Elderly’s Sunday tea parties, the charity is now appealing for more volunteers and local funding to access older people, many of whom do not have regular face-to-face contact with anyone other than their carer and the postman.

Sir Tony said:

“Contact the Elderly is doing brilliant work in North Oxfordshire, supporting isolated older people. I am proud to support the charity in its mission to help end loneliness in older people. It is incredible the difference a monthly tea party can make to someone’s life.

“As well as benefitting older constituents, volunteering with charities such as Contact the Elderly, can bring younger generations a great sense of pride where you can see first-hand the good you are doing for a fellow neighbour.”

For more information on how to volunteer with Contact the Elderly or if you want to come along to a tea party, visit: www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk or free phone 0800 716543.

]]>0Catharinehttp://www.tonybaldry.co.uk/?p=72332015-03-23T12:06:29Z2015-03-22T11:02:52ZOn Sunday, North Oxfordshire MP Sir Tony Baldry carried out his last public duty in Banbury prior to Parliament dissolving at the end of the month. Sir Tony will cease to be an MP at dissolution.

Sir Tony was at St. Mary’s Church, Banbury, for the dedication of the Carillon plaque as a permanent memorial of the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth. He had funded the refurbishment of the original Carillon and funded a new drum for the Carillon with seven additional tunes chose by the people of Banbury to celebrate the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The original Carillon was installed in St. Mary’s Church to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria and there are now matching plaques for those two events in the Church portico.